Come then. Match strength with me. I am Aiolos Chryses, swift and golden. I fell in battle beside Cleon the cunning. Four devils have fallen to me, and men in their dozens. In life, I was guard to the wisest. Now here in hell, I am guard to the wisest. I have waited here for ones such as you to come. I will tell the next to come of your brave deeds this day. Now come forward. You may strike the first blow, Gnaeus Cornelius Papyrus, for you sought to parley, and spoke with respect. Keep your wizards at bay, and I will forswear my own sorcery."
"Now, I really am insulted." Hrothgar is crestfallen at being ignored by a gigantic undead skeleton.
"Don't be a fool, Paper! look at the size of the damn thing. At least formulate a plan. You don't have to do this."
"You talk like a woman, Persian. Hrothgar, Speak classical Greek to it. Maybe it does not understand Koine"
"Tell me of your deeds, that I may remember well who I vanquished."
Paper reflects a moment, and decides that in such a case more rhyming might be called for.
"Very well noble one."
You see before you Rome's fell knight
An ancient noble house's get
Four hundred foes have felt my blade
Their life blood flowing hot and wet
I fear no man, lemure or wight
I laugh with joy at Charon's call
I will not falter from my course
Until my swordarm fin'ly falls
My forebears from Aeneas sprang
As he did flee from burning Troy
My race did suck on wolven teat
To fight and build their only joy
My sword is sharp
my arm is strong
my pilum sturdy ash
My dagger crys for your dead blood
With honor we shall clash
The creature keeps a foot in the water. It waits for you to come forward. It holds its trident and shield away from its body, to let you make the first strike.
Whispers "Hrothgar. Try to seperate it from the water. It may draw strength from it."
"How do you propose I do that? With insults?"
Paper advances towards the cyclops, saluting him with his gladius.
"Ave, Aiolos Chryses. If I fall remember my name, as I will remember yours should the victory fall to me."
Paper advances and swings his sword in a glittering arc.
Attack: 1d20+7=15, Dam: 1d6+2=8
"Oi, Undead dude! You think you are fighting fair by doing it in the water, there! That's cheating!"
Modius, Hrothgar, Rufinus all must roll initiative. Paper goes first, and will go on initiative order 30 from now until the end of combat. The creature said that sorcery is not in the terms of the duel. Isat needs to let me know if he will keep to that condition.
The mighty foe has hard armour, but Paper is able to place his first blow without needing to worry about that. Next time, with a moving target, he won't be so lucky.
Paper has cut into the creature. It bleeds, but the blood is frothy and watery, from long submersion.
Initiative please. All warriors should let me know where they are standing, relative to the cyclops. Remember that it is on the end of an eight foot wide pool.
Cyclops initiative:1d20+2=7
Rufinus Initiative:1d20+5=21
Paper had to cross the room to get to the foe. Others may have followed suit, as they wish. I will assume that you are all surrounding it to strike with flanking, unless you declare otherwise.
Modius will be delighted to hear that, as a Pathfinder groovy bonus, He can sneak attack this thing, if he flanks it.
The Cyclops has AC 18. Flanking gives you a +2 bonus to hit.
When you roll initiative, roll to attack at the same time. The creature is large, which increases your chance to hit by a further +1.
As the warriors close, the creature uses the advantage of it's reach weapon to make an attack of opportunity at one of you, as you close in.
1-3 Hrothgar.
4-6 Rufinus.
As Hrothgar closes with it, the beast pushes its golden trident forward, catching Hrothgar with the tines, and almost knocking him flat with the strength of the blow. A mighty seventeen points of damage.
If you can still attack, go for it. You need to drop this thing fast.
Rufinus swings hard for the back of the knee.
He connects, causing great damage, and bringing the creature off balance for Hrothgar's blows.
After Hrothgar attacks, we need to wait, and see what Modius decides to do.
This is a tough fight. I won't lie to you. Play smart to survive.
"Golden One - your maker chose his guardian well. I will not use witchcraft against you if you honour my brothers in the same way. Meet them on equal terms."
"Tyr! Grant me strength to vanquish the foul thing!"
Hrothgar screams his fury, "Raaarrrgghhh!"
He raises the sacred axe and hammers it at the point hit by Rufinus.
Battle Axe Attack and Damage (1d20+10=24, 1d8+5=10)
"Fall, damn you!"
The creature seems to have not heard Isat. It is intent on the fight. It keeps a foot in the water. Isat has the torch, Levi also has a torch. If you are not close to the fight, your allies will not have much light. I just remembered the lighting conditions now. Let us assume Levi is torchbearing for the warriors, now that his injuries of yesterday are healed.
Isat moves a little closer to shed more light for the warriors. He doesn't want to get in their way.
"Brothers. The legs. Bring it down." he calls urgently.
Modius, Hrothgar, Rufinus all must roll initiative.
Modius follows Rufinus in, having just fought behind him, but tries to step around and flank the abomination.
He has hoisted his shield now and has shaken the uncertainty he felt earlier. He lunges, cutting with the gladius.
Short sword, damage: (1d20+5=16, 1d6=1)
Hrothgar smacks his axe deep into the cyclop's knee, splintering bone, and severing muscle. The monster still does not fall. It cannot stand on that leg, however. Now the leg in the water is it's only support, and I will deny it a dex bonus from now on, as it cannot properly maneuver on the leg it has left. You see to your horror, that the wound made by Paper is closing.
Modius may strike at the creature, and may add sneak attack dice. If he is within 30 feet, the sneak attack may be with the bow, if you wish.
If Hrothgar is still alive to fight in round 2
Cyclops initiative:1d20+2=7
Rufinus Initiative:1d20+5=21
Hrothgar Initiative:1d20+7=24
Modius Initiative:1d20+3=18
Paper Initiative:30
So: Paper Hrothgar Rufinus Modius Cyclops
Presently at 4; 0 once the rage ends.
Modius may strike at the creature, and may add sneak attack dice. If he is within 30 feet, the sneak attack may be with the bow, if you wish.
Modius aims for the tendons in the beast's legs, but it turns away and his blow loses its power.
Attack: 1d20+5=22, Dam: 1d6+2=7
Paper's gladius cleaves through the wrinkled watery flesh of the undead godling. He aims for the leg in the water, deducing that perhaps as in tales of old that the cyclops is gaining strength from the element like Antaeus the giant did touching earth.
The tines of the trident are slick with Hrothgar's blood. It pulls the trident back, and drives it forward, towards Paper.
Not only does it miss, the way it thrust the trident forward shifts it's weight, and it cannot use it's good leg. It drops to a knee, and leaves itself open to attacks of opportunity from Rufinus and Hrothgar.
Rufinus slams his sledgehammer into the small of the giant's back.
It has taken 53 points of damage. It looks wounded. The same amount again should finish it.
If Hrothgar is still alive to fight in round 2 ** spoiler omitted **
Hrothgar hits with his axe, but misses with the dagger in his off-hand. A further ten damage, to the same leg. The kneecap is missing, and the bone is pulverised by now.
Modius lunges in again slashing with the short sword.
Short sword, damage, sneak attack (if flanking): (1d20 5=24, 1d6=5, 1d6=4)
When Modius cuts at the leg, the creature realises the severity of its injuries, and it pulls both legs into the water, It is moving into the water, to remove the target. One of its golden greaves is lying in a twisted heap on the ground. As it hobbles down the hidden steps, it loses height, until it is wading up to its thighs. The cut on it's chest is completely healed. (It took a move partial action, in game terms)
Rufinus leaps onto the stairs to bar the monster from heading further into the water. He strikes at the creature's head when it comes into reach.
The slippery footing disrupts the power of his blow.
The creature strikes at Paper again. It seems to be putting more force into the blow.
Paper is hurled back by the blow. Blood sprays. The trident has cut through flesh and bone, and come out of his back. Paper is going to die if he does not get healing. Twenty-five damage. Paper is at -3 HP.
"This abomination is healed by the water. We must kill it quickly or we're all doomed."
The Cyclops has taken 79 Hitpoints of damage. More than half its hitpoints have been taken as called shots to the leg. I am going to rule, that it can not take any more move actions after this. It is only staying upright by using the wall of the pool it is in.
There is healing happening to it, however. It is healing ten points a round, and regenerating as well.
Paper
Hrothgar
Rufinus
Modius
Cyclops
Isat can go anytime now. He has two actions to take.
Levi and Stratos are holding torches, and trying to stay out of the way. Levi suddenly stoops and grabs something off the floor. In the dark, none can see what it is.
Stratos calls out. "Heal them Isat. It heals! Heal them now, by Ahura Mazda!"
Calling confidently on his powers, Isat invokes his goddess and the Wise Lord. He speaks Persian.
"Fire and mother, help me help them." His holy symbol grows warm.
1d20; ; [16] = (16)
1d20;6+1 ; 7
Second batch
1d20;1d6+1 ; [13] = (13)
1d20;1d6+1 ; [3,1] = (4)
"Two can play at that game brothers."
No roll is needed. The only roll needed is the d6 roll for damage/healing. That is eleven points of healing to everyone. Paper is back from the brink of death, and can make a fortitude save DC 12 to take an action immediately after coming back from the edge.
The blast of light burns away the skin and flesh of the undead giant. It reflects off the gold armour, and sends beams through the whole chamber. Steam boils off the monster, as the flesh burns away the water. Two of the quartz teeth have shattered. There is an explosion of steam, like a geyser, from an undead carp that has also immolated under the water. The creature drops its shield, as it cannot wield it effectively in the thigh deep water. It now has AC 15. Aiolos Chryses is mauled, but not yet on the verge of destruction. It has taken ninety points of damage, and healed twenty since start of combat.
Paper, Hrothgar, Modius and Rufinus are next.